Special CeBIT 2003: European
products insight Part II
Headset ear buds, call recorders and solutions for wireless platforms
will be some European products to be announced at CeBIT 2003, organised
by Deutsche Messe AG in Hannover, Germany from 12 19
Mar. The organisation foresees an attendance of more than 7,000
businesses, from 59 different countries, exhibiting in an area over 380,000
sq. metres.
Headset
ear buds Samsung Germany, Hall
12, Stand F67
Using
headsets for making and taking phone calls has become common practice, and not
just in call centers. A great invention, but a pity the person at the
other end has to put up with all that background noise.
A tiny ear bud Samsung
Germany will be unveiling at CeBIT 2003 aims at having this problem
beat. Its the first ever headset ear bud to house the mic as well as the
earphone.
The principle is simple. When we speak, our heads act as natural
resonance chambers. Thats why, for example, singers use earplugs: so they can
hear their own voice better when on stage.
Rather than picking up sound
from the lips, the exhibitors new ear bud picks up the sound vibrations from
within the speakers ear. This filters out 90 percent of all background noise.
The new headset ear bud will soon be available in both corded and wireless Bluetooth
versions.
Telephony solutions for
SMEs 2N Telekomunikace a. s. (Czech
Republic), Hall 13, Stand 09
Cutting-edge
communication solutions: just because they will be displayed at CeBIT 2003
doesnt automatically make them the best choice for every CeBIT
attendee. The reason is simple: for small or medium-sized businesses theyre
overkill and, for that reason, too expensive. A Czech manufacturer
designed Netstar, a communication server designed with small and medium-sized
businesses in mind.
This Linux-based server processes data and voice
services, and supports a range of applications, such as CTI (Computer
Telephony Integration), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), and UMS
(Unified Messaging System). It also features PSTN (Public Switched
Telephone Network), GSM, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital
Network) and DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications)
interfaces, plus a built-in router and firewall.
Phone call recorders Vidicode
Datacommunicatie BV (Netherlands), Hall 13, Stand A21
Who can reliably remember the
minutiae of what gets discussed during lengthy phone calls? CD-175
is the response from Vidicode showcasing its new telephone integrated CD
recorder at CeBIT 2003. This recorder can capture up to 175 hours of
phone calls. Retrieving the desired dialog from the conversation storehouse can
be done by searching date, time, or phone number.
And with the optional
Windows-based software package, users can also create their own databases and
play recorded phone calls on their PC. Another utility is data
protection. Users can buy Crypto Card technology that encrypts the
recorded phone conversations, safeguarding them against unauthorised access.
Telephony switching Cirpack
(France), Hall 27, Stand F15
Cirpack will be showcasing
something many providers have been waiting for: super-high-power telephony
switching thats scalable to meet the requirements of next generation telecom
infrastructures.
Based on IBMs xSeries
eServer, Cirpacks Super Nodecan handle up to 5
million BHCAs (Busy Hour Call Attempts) and 6,000 E1 connections.
It provides simultaneous support for IP, ATM (Asynchronous
Transfer Mode) and TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) traffic and
protocols, and supports almost all copper-wire and fibre optic interfaces, such
as E1, SDH, ATM, AAL1/AAL2, Ethernet and POS.
Mobile Wireless LANs
Inventel (France), Hall 27,
Stand F15
Mobile Internet access via
wireless local area networks (WLANs) is not particularly new. The service
has been available in many of our public buildings for some time. The problem
lies in the diversity of wireless technologies used to provide this service. In
large buildings like airports, technologies such as Bluetooth struggle to
provide coverage, whereas, in smaller buildings like cafés, the main
alternative, WLAN 802.11b, seems like overkill.
At CeBIT 2003 a French-based
exhibitor will be showcasing two new types of wireless base station, the EBW-250
and the DBW-250, that combine both standards.
The system is particularly
suited to mobile internet access via WLAN access points, known as hot
spots, in public buildings. By combining the Bluetooth and 802.11b
standards, the system aims to get the best of both.
The DW-250 has a built-in
ADSL modem and features all the functions generally required in smaller
public areas such as cafés. Its counterpart, the EBW-250 has an Ethernet
port, and is suitable for larger areas such as airports and railway stations.
Both products feature the Linux
operating system, compatible with all administrative and billing software.
Bluetooth for
telephones Tenovis GmbH & Co
(Germany), Hall 013, Stand C20
The new Bluetooth interface for
Integral T3 digital system telephones, which a Frankfurt-based company
will be showcasing at CeBIT 2003, promises an increased field of movement
for phone users. Used with a Bluetooth headset or the new Bluetooth mobile
telephone, this technology increases users range by up to 100 meters. The
technology also supports wireless connection to Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs).
This new Bluetooth interface
also supports CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) functions, enabling
direct dialling access to numbers stored in users PDA address book. If
users have an Integral T3 IP digital system phone, they will have direct
wireless access to the internet or their companys intranet or network through
PDA.
GSM
Possio AB (Sweden), Hall 13,
Stand D37 (B02)
Swedish company Possio AB will
be showcasing the latest version of its PM70 mobile phone and fax unit at
CeBIT 2003. In conjunction with a Possio Connectivity Carda
triband GSM cellular phone card powered by a Siemens MC45
moduleusers of this m-business communication tool can access the GSM
network anywhere, any time.
The PM70 automatically
prints out incoming SMS messages and fax transmissions, and the built-in
scanner enables users to copy and send paper documents of all kinds.
Filipe Samora
2003-02-20